Back to the New Present
by angel-brokensorrow
Summary: After the battle with Ultimecia. How DID Rinoa find Squall in the first place? Squinoa


**Disclaimer-** Do I really have to put this? Obviously, I don't own any rights towards Final Fantasy VIII, Square-Enix or any of its affiliates. I don't receive profits from writing this (unfortunately).

If you haven't finished the game, I suggest that you don't continue on. There are major spoilers. (kind of) GWAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Author's Notes-** Takes place just after fighting and defeating Ultimecia. From Rinoa's point of view. It IS a one-shot thank you very much. I recommend greatly to you hear it. I also recommend watching the movie _Pay it Forward_. It's an awesome movie and…it's so sad…

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**Back to the New Present**

Darkness was supposed to cover her. There was supposed to be something happy, something that would pierce through that darkness. But it didn't. A pure white covered her surroundings, right and left. She couldn't see a thing. Perhaps there was nothing to see. But there was no light to pierce through the darkness for darkness simply _could_ not exist here. Just light. And no Squall. Perhaps that was the worst part of it all.

"Time...place...who I wanna be with... I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised. Squall! Squall! Let's go home! Where are you?" Rinoa called, running blindly through. Where were they? Where was Squall? She was so scared. So lonely. It wasn't supposed to be like this was it? Her nightmares weren't supposed to come true!

Suddenly, something broke through the light, and steps, heavy boot steps approached her. She turned frantically, her mahogany eyes searching equally so.

She saw Squall. It had to have been him, for only he wore a faded black coat with a fur collar. He was the only one who had a silver chain of the Griever Emblem. He had made the fashion statement of the century with his belts. It _was_ him. Only her Squall could run at full speed with a gunblade at his waist. He ran past her in the distance, not looking at where he was going. Not looking at her. What was wrong with her knight?

"Squall! Where are you going?" She screamed, running at his figure. But he disappeared before she could even take a step. It seemed as if a bright, milky white wall was hiding him. A light, brighter than the sun, brighter than anything she had ever seen before covered her and muffled her screams.

The light faded into color, and she was where they had promised to be. Flowers swayed softly with the drifting wind and butterflies flew out of the thick and tall flowers, their hiding spots disturbed. Colors danced around her as the wind gradually grew stronger. Blue, pink, white, yellow, red, orange, green…dancing slowly…ever so softly. Suddenly, a gust of wind came from the south, loosing the flower petals into the air, dancing in whirl winds of red and pink. She smiled and turned back to face the wind. Rinoa reached out and grabbed one. She eyed it fondly, her pink rose petal. So beautiful, soft and sweet smelling. She enclosed her hand around it and closed her eyes.

Her fingers uncurled, and lying softly in her palm, was a pure white feather. Before she could see it more, it caught flight in the strong winds and flew off. Its bright color twirled until it was swept up into the darkened clouds. Perhaps it would find it's way to Squall.

_Squall!_ They were supposed to meet somewhere! Widening her eyes, she ran at full speed towards the old orphanage. Disappointment and emptiness greeted her when she had realized, he wasn't here. She continued her search further, looking deep in the weathered building for him.

She wanted to see him so badly. Yet…something had to be wrong. He wouldn't just leave her by herself. Not after she had spilled her heart out to him. Not after he saved her so many times…He had to be somewhere else. He must have not have made his way safely! She saw several figures. All clearly recognizable. _Quistis...you guys…_ An over-whelming urge to meet them flowed in to her. But something tugged at her heart. Maybe it was sadness, perhaps it was something else, but as much as she wanted to stay and assure her friends that she was safe…she needed to makes sure Squall was first. She grabbed at the magic inside her and disappeared, beginning the search through time for her love.

It took time before her wishes to reach Squall had worked. Many times, too many times, she had ended up back at the orphanage, and the Garden. She _knew _in her heart that he wasn't there.

The place she had sensed him in was something of a desert. The ground was cracked, parched and sandy. The sky was dark, ominous if there ever was a word. It _screamed_ of rain, but somehow, she knew it would not be coming. For it was tinted green and resembled trembling waters rather than clouds. All around her, for miles and miles, was the same environment. Desert and clouds. Nothing else. Rinoa held her rings in her hand and squeezed as hard as she could.

He _was_ here…she was so sure of it…she just had to find him…

It was a long walk…sometimes she had run short bursts in order to speed her arrival to him. The silence brought her deep within her own sub-conscious. She was vaguely aware of her feet stepping slowly, one in front of the other steadily. Slowly. She went back in to the past, watching herself, and Squall interact. It was like a movie. Rolling like film. At times it stuttered when she had forgotten the memories' exact circumstances. Her whole life had passed by her and somehow, through the violence and drama, she was calm.

Time passed. She had no idea how much. For how could you measure a clock if you were inside one? Her urge to see Squall again was strong and Rinoa worked to suppress it. She couldn't count how many times she wished that she could find him.

A lone body was collapsed on the hard ground. Dark hair sprayed over his forehead, hiding the diagonal scar between his eyes. It was him. She walked calmly, praying to herself in hope that he would be fine. That he _was _fine. She knelt by his side, extending an arm to caress his face. He was alive.

Slowly, she smiled softly and brushed stray hairs from his face. Relief flooded through her. She admired the silkiness of his brown strands and the light, flawlessness of his skin. She doubted she would get another chance anytime soon.

She snuck her arm under his neck and lifted his whole body to rest on her. His head lay limp on her shoulder. She hugged him with everything she had in her and buried her face in the collar of his jacket, forcing back tears of relief. Emotion poured out with each tear and sob._  
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Suddenly, light. So much light burst forth. Everything lit up, and Rinoa lifted her head from his shoulder. Flowers, they were all around them, swaying with the oncoming wind. They dried the tears on her face. The dark clouds were falling back from the wind as if it alone could push them away, and soon, they disappeared all together.

Pedals were swept up in the wind again, and flew up into the sky. Eyes wide with awe and joy, Rinoa looked down at her knight. They were back again. And he was safe.

Slowly, she laid him against the green grass under them. Her arms trembled at the sheer weight but it was somewhat successful. Again, she stroked his cheek and curled up into him, head in the crook of his arm. Their bodies fit perfectly together. She looked up at the perfect blue sky and smiled even wider. Rinoa waited to be found, but in a way, she hoped that it wouldn't be too soon.

She closed her eyes and slept.

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**Author's Note**_**-** _Not my best work, I know. But the idea for this swept me up so quickly, it was…awesome. I'm proud of this…even if it is totally awful. Despite the big NO-NO I learned in reading a column I just posted this up like…2 days after I wrote it, I did my best to revise and edit it but there still might be some mistakes. 

At first, I thought of writing this from Squall's POV but I realized that for half of the fic, I would be re-writing what had happened in the game, and no body wants that right? So yeah, this is what I did, and despite the awfulness, I hope you enjoyed this fic.

Constructive Criticism is appreciated.Thanks for taking the time to read this and if this was worth your time, please check out some of my other stories I've posted.

_**Edited to rid of Song Lyrics. The original contained lyrics from Bonnie McKee's song, "Somebody". **_


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